Maria Rivera Quezada

Revolutionized rural education in Peru through community radio networks

Maria Rivera Quezada (b. 1958) is a Peruvian educator and innovator who created the first radio-based education system for remote Andean communities. Growing up in the highlands of Cusco, she witnessed the lack of schools in mountain villages. In 1982, she pioneered the Radio Educación Andina project that used solar-powered radios to deliver lessons in Quechua and Spanish. By 2000, this network reached 150,000 children across 8 regions, reducing illiteracy rates by 40% in participating communities.

Her system integrated local cultural practices with formal education curricula, using traditional storytelling formats. Rivera's approach became a UNICEF model for rural education, leading to the UNESCO Literacy Prize in 1997. She later developed the CiberPachamama initiative (1999), connecting rural schools via satellite internet before broadband became widespread. Learn about UNESCO's recognition here.

Less commonly known is her work with adult literacy programs that trained over 2000 indigenous women as community educators. Her memoir Voces desde las Nubes (Voices from the Clouds) documents her journey. Rivera's methods are now used in Bolivia and Ecuador's education systems, proving the power of decentralized learning models.